Pokemon Trading Card Game Online Preview

Before it was turned into a video game, the Pokemon Trading Card Game was precisely what it sounds like — a game that uses physical trading cards. Originally released in Japan in 1996, the success of fantasy TCG games like Wizards of the Coast’s Magic: The Gathering in North America lead indirectly to the release of the Pokemon TCG in 1998, when Wizards won the license to produce and distribute the game.

The TCG is centered on the same concept as the video games — Pokémon battles — with the Pokemon having hit points and attacks; each card has its base damage level, which is applied to the opponent’s Pokemon to determine the outcome. If the damage is equal or greater than the hit points the player knocks out the opponent’s Pokemon, sending it to the discard pile.

There are five types of Pokemon cards: Pokemon, Energy, Stadium, Supporter, and Trainer cards. Each player has a deck of up to 60 cards, of which only four cards with the same name may be included, with the exception of Basic Energy cards and specific named cards. A Pokemon card requires a specified number of Energy Cards in order to attack — and these cards are attached to the Pokemon that uses them for the period of the attack.

Trainer, Tool, Supporter, and Technical Machine cards alter the game based on their specific function which is spelled out on the individual cards, and these are organized into strategies which dictate what cards are used to build a particular deck.

All of this is directly recreated in the video game, right down to building custom decks and even collecting the individual cards, making the video game nearly identical to the physical card game.

The Pokemon TCG Online

The new TCG Online allows Trainers to play with anyone, anytime, anywhere, simply by turning on their computers, expanding on the recently introduced Pokemon Trainer Challenge. A player-versus-player TCG, launching in fall 2011 for anyone looking to battle 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from the convenience of their PC, Pokemon TCG Online is a fully immersive online game using virtual Pokemon TCG cards that players can collect, trade, and use to battle with each other.

Game play in the preview was strikingly similar to play in real life, on the table top, but of course the processes are somewhat automated, and it makes the game easier to learn, as there is less fussing with card placement allowing more concentration on actual game play elements.

As this is a browser-based game, the cards appear just like their real-world counterparts, and game play within the model is smooth and easy to follow. The ranking system for play has not been fully explained but the presumption is that the same ranking system that appears in the game is the one that will be used for tourney play — and there will be organized tourney play, as Nintendo of America has officially confirmed this.

The wide selection of cards available in the online version mirrors that of the offline, and the ability to win, obtain, and collect cards that you can then add to your collection and use to build custom decks is just brilliant.

Trainers can prepare for online battles against other Trainers by purchasing physical cards, as there is an online element to the traditional card packs.

The three upcoming Pokemon TCG: Black & White theme decks, which are available April 6th, include a code that unlocks a virtual deck for play in the Pokemon Trainer Challenge and Pokemon TCG Online. The more virtual cards players collect, the easier it will be to create a strong deck for battle based upon established or personal strategies.

The Collection Management Tool

To help manage your virtual Pokemon TCG cards, and for easy sorting, trading, and showcasing them, a unique Collection Management Tool has been created to provide players easy point-and-click access to their collections. Additionally, Pokemon TCG Online deck-building tools, including an innovative deck-building wizard, helps construct personalized decks for players of all skill levels utilizing the cards that a Trainer currently has in their collection.

It is important to note that deck construction is one of the more popular areas of skill development in TCG’s, and Pokemon is no exception. With many tourney players publishing their deck contents online, it is going to be very easy to construct killer decks — assuming you have the right cards — to blaze a winning trail in the game.

Similar to the real-world Pokemon TCG community, the trading of digital TCG cards and items in real time will allow players to interact with others while building decks and collecting a wide variety of Pokemon TCG-related items online. The ability to trade and obtain the cards that they need to complete strategic decks will likely result in a combination of offline (physical) pack purchasing mixed with online trading.

Various customizable features and digital items will be available through a special currency system earned through numerous game play scenarios, including officially sanctioned online tournaments staged by The Pokemon Company International. As a result players can expect the introduction of new items and features frequently.

Achievements and Status

Individual and community game play statistics will be tracked using three features, including Leveling, which gauges individual playtime to unlock certain features within the game; Ratings, which tracks a player’s games along with any online tournaments entered and won; and Leaderboards, which will post standings for players across various skill levels.

This is a level of status that until now has only been obtainable through participation of officially sanctioned offline tournaments. Because of the geographical nature of tourney play, far fewer players participated within the structure there than actually play the game, so it will be interesting to see how the online version of the game compares to the player rankings of the traditional version.

At PAX East Trainers were able to preview the game, playing at the numerous stations set up at the Pokemon Exhibit, where they experienced the single-player Pokemon Trainer Challenge. To play at home, players need to create a free Pokemon Trainer Club account, easily obtained at www.pokemon.com/us/account/login.

For more information about the upcoming launch of the multiplayer Pokemon TCG Online or to sign up for an opportunity to play the single-player Pokemon Trainer Challenge open beta, please visit www.pokemontcg.com.

Note: This preview was written using a recent PR release as well as on-site play at PAX East to provide much deeper background detail on the game and its upcoming offers.

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Blog Author

Chris Boots-Faubert

Game On is written by Cape Cod Times Columnist CM Boots-Faubert, who started gaming in 1972 on Pong, quickly moving on to the Atari 2600 and Intellivision when they were released. His current gaming systems include the Xbox360, PS3, Wii, NDS, and ... Read Full